Historical Overview Section

The Franks were Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century living north and east of the Lower Rhine. From the third to fifth centuries various groups of Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. In the climate of the collapse of imperial authority in the West, the Frankish tribes were united under the Merovingians and conquered all of Gaul save Septimania in the 6th century.

From the 3rd century onward there was continual friction between the Dominate Romans and the Frankish tribes as many kept invading and raiding Roman territory, including client states such as those of the Batavii and Menapii. When Dominate Roman administration collapsed in Gaul in 260 due to a joint invasion of Franks and Alamanni, The Germanic Batavian Postumus was forced (yeah, right, "forced" - ho humm..) to usurp central authority to restore order, and Franks became a central part of the Foederate Roman army as well as a major enemy. This proximity has led many historians to postulate that Frankish armies and warfare was organised far more closely along Roman lines than is catered for under this list.

The primary sources for Frankish military custom and armament are Ammianus Marcellinus, Agathias, and Procopius, the latter two Eastern Roman historians writing about Frankish intervention in the Gothic War. Writing of 539, Procopius says: At this time the Franks, hearing that both the Goths and Foederate Romans had suffered severely by the war . . . forgetting for the moment their oaths and treaties . . . (for this nation in matters of trust is the most treacherous in the world), they straightway gathered to the number of one hundred thousand under the leadership of Theudebert and marched into Italy: they had a small body of cavalry about their leader, and these were the only ones armed with spears, while all the rest were foot soldiers having neither bows nor spears, but each man carried a sword and shield and one axe. Now the iron head of this weapon was thick and exceedingly sharp on both sides, while the wooden handles was very short. And they are accustomed always to throw these axes at one signal in the first charge and thus to shatters the shields of the enemy and kill the men.

His contemporary, Agathias, says: The military equipment of this people (the Franks) is very simple. . . . They do not know the use of the coat of mail or greaves and the majority leave the head uncovered, only a few wear the helmet. They have their chests bare and backs naked to the loins, they cover their thighs with either leather or linen. They do not serve on horseback except in very rare cases. Fighting on foot is both habitual and a national custom and they are proficient in this. At the hip they wear a sword and on the left side their shield is attached. They have neither bows nor slings, no missile weapons except the double edged axe and the angon which they use most often. The angons are spears which are neither very short nor very long they can be used, if necessary, for throwing like a javelin, and also in hand to hand combat

The Frankish kingdoms were replaced by the Merovingians, a Salian Frankish dynasty that came to rule the Franks in a region largely corresponding to ancient Gaul from the middle of the fifth century.

Using the army in FoG

V2.0 change The following armies (but not ally contingents derived from them) can have up to 1/3 of their battle groups of the specified type upgraded to Superior, representing separately deployed picked warriors. Such battle groups cannot exceed 8 bases. Early Frankish, Alamanni, Burgundi, Limigantes, Quadi, Rugii, Suebi or Turcilingi (Warriors)

It's a block of slow moving Impact Foot, which offers little to the tactician - or anyone hoping for a victory in fact. You may be looking to allied contingents to help you out here...

Allied Contingents

Roman, Dominate : Date restrictions Suebi Only, Book: Legions Triumphant Page: 12 - 4 legions, 4 auxilia and 4 mounted as a minimum make this expensive but tough - and all 3 are useful. Make the legions as good as you can afford if you are taking them. Cataphracts or LH are interesting ways to use the Cv allowance

Herul - Early Ostrogothic, Herul, Sciri or Taifali : Date restrictions None Book: Legions Triumphant Page: 64 - Up to 18 lancer cavalry - and good quality - gives a lot more mountd clout, but more than 2-3 units is hard for a single general to control

Ostrogothic - Early Ostrogothic, Herul, Sciri or Taifali : Date restrictions None Book: Legions Triumphant Page: 64 - Up to 18 lancer cavalry - and good quality - gives a lot more mountd clout, but more than 2-3 units is hard for a single general to control

Sciri - Early Ostrogothic, Herul, Sciri or Taifali : Date restrictions None Book: Legions Triumphant Page: 64 - Up to 18 lancer cavalry - and good quality - gives a lot more mountd clout, but more than 2-3 units is hard for a single general to control

Taifali - Early Ostrogothic, Herul, Sciri or Taifali : Date restrictions None Book: Legions Triumphant Page: 64 - Up to 18 lancer cavalry - and good quality - gives a lot more mountd clout, but more than 2-3 units is hard for a single general to control

Dominate Roman - gives you some good fast moving foot to exploit flanks whilst your own army acts as an anvil against which an enemy can beat himself. However he may well beat you before the Dom Roms can swarm him!

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